Thesis Topic
Displacement,Hybridity & identity
crisis:A Post Colonial Analysis of
Bhutto’s Novel The Runaways
Background of the study
World societies are established in terms of different cultural notions, and culture
is representation of specific tradition, religion, language and political values
and these are un change able. Person belonging to specific culture have to
follow these cultural notions to fulfil their needs and to be accept by others in
that society. These notions become identical characteristics of person’s identity.
When a person belonging to a specific culture immigrate to other society have
to adopt the values of new culture, at the same time they are not able to avoid
their old cultural values such type of interference of two different cultures cause
a hybrid character, extreme level of hybridization result in identity crisis. When
a culture intermingles into other it is not only transformation of values but also
the transformation of language, thoughts and ideologies. Such type of situation
is traced in the novel through the different character i.e. Sunny, Monty and
Anita.
Research Objectives
The objectives of the study are the followings in The Runaways by Fatima Bhutto.
To examine the life of Anita, Monty and Sunny under critical situation of
displacement and isolation.
To trace out how the identity of Anita, Monty and Sunny results in hybrid identity
and finally create problem like identity crisis.
To highlight identity crisis in The Runaways by Fatima Bhutto.
Research Questions
The present study try to seek the answer of the following questions
How does Sunny, Monty and Anita’s previous identities are affected due to
displacement?
How does Hybridity impact the social and personal behavior of the Characters in
the novel The Runaways?
How does the initial identity of Sunny, Monty and Anita finally resulted in
identity crisis in the novel The Runaways?
Theoritical Framework
Post colonial Theory
The present study seeks to analyze and explore Fatima Bhutto’s novel The Runaways
written under the perspective of Post colonialism that represents the life and
experience of migrant belonging to different socio-cultural background and their
secondary action of moving towards the new-land in search of religious
belongingness.
In considering the theoretical framework, the research is based on Post colonial
analysis of the relevant data.
Prespectives
Diaspora
When a person immigrates from their native land to a new location whether willingly
or under someone’s pressure it is termed as diaspora. Diaspora as a post-colonial
aspect gave rise to many other post colonials concepts such as hybridity, identity
crisis, hegemony and many more. If we keenly examine the process of colonialism it
itself was initiated by diasporic movement.
Hybridity
hybridity refers to any mixing of east and western culture. It is cross culture of
two cultures that intersect and give birth to a new culture.
Identity crisis
Identity is a term that describes a person, it is the identity through which we are able
to identify a person separately. The term identity crisis is generated when a person
already perceived identity comes under conflict due to its ability of being uncertain.
METHOD OF ANALYSIS
This research is qualitative in nature. Textual analysis is applied to get
indepth details.
Delimitation of the study
The present study delimit itself to only one novel The Runaways by Fatima Bhutto
under the perspective of displacement, hybridity and identity crisis. This research had
used the aspects of Culture, nation hood, identity and language. Bhutto had presented
the lives of three different peoples belonging to three different social backgrounds
and traditions.
Research Gap
It is important to get a clear understanding about the position of muslims at
internal and international level. To get better opportunites people move to the
other countries, the young generation is not much aware about the concequences
of displacement and how it could affect persons identity at both personal and
social level. A chain of events is constructed to highlight the intermingled
concepts of displacement, hybridity and identity crisis..
Sample of Analysis
“Why have beard? Who you meet? Come From Taliban? 'I am a British citizen, '
Sunny repeated, you have no right to hold me, I am a British citizen'. But the
guards just laughed. Salman khan not a British, Salman Khan Moslem. 'My name
is Salman Jamil and I am British citizen,' Sunny repeated" (Bhutto, 2018, p. 157).
“This is Europe, the headmistress at St Thomas's told Sunny, I was born here
, Sunny told the headmistress. I'm not a migrant. 'This is Europe,' she sneered like
she couldn’t hear him.' We are civilized here, we are educated. We do not assault
people over an insult' Ben lost four teeth, she said” (Bhutto, 2018, p. 268).
Findings of the study
chain of events was constructed that were arranged in the light of following findings.
The importance of immigrants can never be denied, the researcher has shredded light on
the rights of immigrant. It is found that people migrate to get different opportunities that
they are not able to get in their limited resourced environment. Due to high level of
discrimination they are not accept in the host country even if they belong to second
generation immigrant. The researcher highlighted the situations in which the
consequence of initial displacement forced characters to have a double displacement .
Significance of the study
The significance of the present study could be understood as it examined the identity
of displaced people on different social, cultural and religious grounds. It would prove
helpful for researchers who want to obtain critical knowledge about the life of
dislocated people and further want to work on the concepts of identity crisis,
hybridity and cultural diversity among the dislocated people. It would be helpful to
give a clear understanding about the suffering of those people who opt displace to get
better opportunities.
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Thankyou
